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Fruit trees, shrubs and plants - Tennessee

Nurseries

Care of trees, shrubs and plants

  • Winterize.
    • This Tip Will Protect Your Plants Below 28 Degrees!. Use bubble wrap around tree then cover with large heavy duty black trash bag. It should provide 10-15 degrees of protection below freezing. Enhancement to video: Use stakes around the tree and wrap with bubble wrap.
    • How To FROST Protect! Duration 4:49. Put stakes around tree and wrap with plastic or weed cloth, then dump mulch (straw or leaves) inside.
  • Winterize Fig Trees.
    • How To Overwinter Figs! Duration 8:28. Trim branches to about 2 feet, bind the branches into a bundle and tie with string, wrap burlap around the bundle, wrap insulation (if needed) around the bundle, wrap painter's plastic (3 or 4 times) around the bundle. Finally, put a bucket on the top to prevent rain and/or snow to get in.
    • How to Protect A Fruit Tree During the Winter. Duration 15:25. Uses Tar Paper to waterproof the wrapping.
    • How to Put Your Fig Tree to Bed. Duration 7:26. Uses 1T of cayenne pepper to 1 Q and add dishwashing detergent and spray the bottom to ward off mice from chewing the bark. Uses fiberglass insulation wrap then cover with plastic.
  • Manure. Avoid cow/horse manure since the hay they consumed may have been sprayed with herbicides like Grazon (an aminopyralid-based toxin from Dow AgroSciences) to kill weeds. Chicken manure is fine, unless the bedding was with straw/hay that was sprayed. See Beware: This Manure Will Destroy Your Garden. You can test your manure by growing squash on it for a season. Squash are very sensitive to herbicides. If any of them turn yellow or curly, I know that batch is bad. You can also test with tomato plants. Mix the manure 1:1 with potting soil and plant a tomato plant in it.
  • Glyphosate (RoundUp). See Glyphosate toxicity. Glyphosate in soil takes 140 days to break down to half it’s toxicity and will continue to be taken up by plants from the soil for 2 years and longer.
  • Compost. Learn to compost everything: leaves, grass clippings, kitchen scrap, whatever.
  • Home Fruit Tree plan may include the following crops: apples, pears, peach, nectarine, plum, cherries, quince, pawpaw, mulberry, and persimmon. Age (in years) to first crop is: apples (2-6 years), pears (3-6), peach (3-4), nectarine (3-4), plum (4-5), cherries (3-6), quince (3-4), pawpaw (5-7), mulberry (5-7), and persimmon (4-5).
  • "We never much luck with peach trees. The peach trees tended to bloom just a little too early and the blossoms would often get killed by a late frost. If you decide to plant peach trees, you might do a little research and look for trees that do well in your area; I think some of the newer varieties bloom later and therefore have a better chance of producing fruit." --Reference
  • Nut trees. Pecan, Chinese chestnut, black walnut and hazelnut trees grow and produce quite well in Tennessee. Pecan and black walnut trees are long-lived and will grow to be very large when properly cared for. Grafted trees of known varieties will begin to bear fruit more quickly than seedling trees. Best production results from cross pollination with another variety of the same type of tree. --Reference
  • Home Nut Tree Plan
  • Pollination. Some fruit trees require a second, compatible tree in order to produce fruit – that’s known as cross pollination. Others are self-pollinating. Obviously, it’s vital to know which is which when you are making your selection.

High density (backyard) orchard (and successive ripening)

  • High density. The length of the fruit season is maximized by planting several (or many) fruit varieties with different ripening times. Because of the limited space available to most homeowners, this means using one or more of the techniques for close-planting and training fruit trees; two, three or four trees in one hole, espalier, and hedgerow are the most common of these techniques. Promoted by DaveWilson.com; see Backyard Orchard Culture.
  • Planting High Density Apple Orchards: Year 1. Duration 4:12. Quick guide on planting a high-density apple orchard.
  • High density apple orchard. Detailed discussion of maintainance etc.
  • Four trees instead of one means ten to twelve weeks of fruit instead of only two or three. Close-planting offers the additional advantage of restricting a tree's vigor. A tree won't grow as large when there are competing trees close by. Close-planting works best when rootstocks of similar vigor are planted together.
  • Better cross-pollination of pears, apples, plums and cherries, which means more consistent production.
  • Summer pruning. Pruning is the only way to keep most fruit trees under twelve feet tall. The most practical method of pruning for size control is summer pruning. Tree size is the grower's responsibility. Choose a size and don't let the tree get any bigger. A good height is the height you can reach for thinning and picking while standing on the ground or on a low stool.
  • Low nitrogen, low water. Fruit trees should not be grown with lots of nitrogen and lots of water. Some people grow their fruit trees the way they grow their lawn, then wonder why the trees are so big and don't have any fruit!

Plants over septic system

  • Microclover, creeping thyme (one source: Burgess), hardy cyclamen, crocus, narcissus/daffodils, snowdrop, alliums and anemones.
  • Septic Field Plant Choices. The list includes: Butterfly wee, Sedum, Lily of the nile, Tulip, Daffodils, Hyacinth, Crocus, Foxglove, Black-eyed susan, Primrose.

Selection notes for my garden (in Tennessee)

  • Notes: Pears are the easiest to grow (Ayers, Bartlett, etc.). Figs do well (Chicago Hardy, Brown Turkey, etc.), Peaches need to be sprayed, will have luck with Red Haven, J.H. Hale, Contender, and Elberta. Cherries are difficult to grow in TN (see Cherry section below). Apricots difficult to produce fruit. Grapes do well (Concord, Catawba, Niagara--white, etc).
  • Akebia quinata (aka chocolate vine): <Berries>
  • Almond: See below.
  • Apple: See below. Apples come in a range of varieties and most require a properly selected cross pollinator of a different variety for fruit production. Generally easy to grow, applies require some easy preventative spraying for various insects and diseases for the overall health of the tree and its fruit.
  • Apricot: See below.
  • Autumn Olive: <Berries>
  • Bananas: See below.
  • Blackberries: <Berries>
  • Blueberries: <Berries>
  • Cape Gooseberry (aka Goldenberry?): <Berries>
  • Che, seedless (Cudrania tricuspidata): See below.
  • Cherry: See below. Cherry trees are difficult to grow in TN. Tart (sour) cherry trees are self pollinating. For sweet cherries, you usually need a second tree for cross pollinating, although there are some self-pollinating sweet cherry trees that are sometimes (but not always) available.
  • Chestnut: See below.
  • Chilean Guava: <Berries>
  • Chokeberry (Aronia): <Berries>
  • Cinnamon vine (Dioscorea batatas/opposita/polystachya): <Berries>
  • Citrus: See below.
  • Cranberry: <Berries>
  • Currants: <Berries>
  • Dead Man's Fingers (Decaisnea fargesii): <Berries>
  • Dogwood, Kousa: Produces a berry-side fruit that is gritty and mild, tastes like an apricot. Skin tastes bad. Once kousa dogwood fruit falls to the ground, it can create a mess as it is walked upon and/or rots.
  • Feijoa (aka Pineapple Guava): See below.
  • Figs: See below. Two fig trees are very cold hardy in TN: Mountain Fig Tree and Chicago Hardy Fig Tree. Others adapted to grow in TN include: Black Mission, White Italian, Ischau and others. A home grower in Chattanooga area found Celeste Fig Tree does well in Tennessee but not the Brown Turkey variety. " I have a brown turkey planted next to my Celeste and it has never had a fruit and dies back every year where as the Celeste is loaded every year."
  • Goji berry (Lycium barbarum): <Berries>
  • Gooseberries: <Berries>
  • Goumi: <Berries>
  • Grapes: <Berries>
  • Guava, Pineapple (aka Feijoa): See below.
  • Hazelnut (aka Filbert): See below.
  • Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum): <Berries>
  • Honeyberry (Lonicera caerulea): <Berries>
  • Jostaberry: <Berries>
  • Jujube: Very invasive root system, with thorny suckers showing up 30' away! Will damage water lines. Do not plant near a house! Buy two varieties for best fruit yield. Best varieties to buy: Georgia 866, Lang, Honey Jar, and Sugarcane. Long video: Roger Meyer on Jujube - Cultivation and Varieties (Duration 1:11:26).
  • Kiwi, Hardy (Actinidia arguta, 'Issai'): <Berries>
  • Kiwi, Tri-Color (Actinidia kolomikta, 'Arctic Beauty'): <Berries>
  • Loquat: Though the tree can handle temperatures almost down to zero without being killed, the blooms and fruit can be lost if the weather falls into the mid-20s. Because this tree blooms in the middle of winter, you might not have luck with it past USDA Zone 8. Even in Zone 8, crops are occasionally lost to frost.
  • Magnolia vine (Schisandra chinensis, aka Five Flavor Fruit, Chinese Magnolia Vine): <Berries>
  • Mango, Alphonso: Indian mango variety that is the gold standard of all mangoes. Hardy to 30F. Grow indoors during the winter if below zone 9. Mature size 10-15' tall.
  • Maypop vine (Passiflora Incarnata): <Berries>
  • Medlar: See below.
  • Melons, Honeydew: <Berries>
  • Mosquito repellent plants: Basil, Thyme, Rosemary, Lavender, Mint.
  • Mulberry: See below.
  • Nectarine: See below.
  • Nut trees (for Tennessee): The American black walnut seedling trees produce large crops of walnuts, but the grafted Thomas black walnut tree and the English Walnut tree can produce larger nuts at an earlier age of growth. The shagbark hickory tree is a favorite wildlife tree to plant because of the huge crops of hickory nuts that are produced by mature hickory trees. The Hall's hardy almond tree grows tasty crunchy nuts like the American filbert tree that grows to a medium size. The cold hardy James pecan tree produces a thin papershell pecan that ripens in early fall, and the hican is a hybrid cross between an hickory nut and a pecan nut tree. The Allegheny chinquapin bushes or trees are native trees to Tennessee. Chinese Chestnut trees are cold hardy nut trees in all zones of the State, and the native American chestnut produces a larger nut that has the sweetest flavor and is blight resistant.
  • Olive: See below.
  • Pawpaw: See below.
  • Peach: See below. The southern favorites are self-pollinating for the most part, but a few varieties may require a cross pollinator. Plant them where they will receive full sun exposure (this goes for most all fruit trees). Since Peaches are known to bloom quite early, they may be a little sensitive to late spring frosts. An early spring preventative spraying right after flowering will control diseases like Peach Leaf Curl. This is important since once the disease has set in in mid to late spring, it is not controllable. Another approach is to use a dormant tree spray before bud opening in spring.
  • Persimmon: See below. The Nikita's Gift Persimmon tree that is very cold hardy and will survive anywhere in Tennessee, and produces large Japanese type persimmons.
  • Pear: See below. They are all self-pollinating to some degree but you’ll find you reap a much bigger yield of fruit if add a proper alternative for cross pollination. Pears are often very upright in their growth habit so less width space is required. Prevent their most common disease – Fire Blight – by preventative spraying during the actual flowering period so the antibiotic spray goes directly to the flower. Once the tip dies back in summer, it is too late to prevent or treat them.
  • Patio trees: See below.
  • Pecan: Pawnee (dwarf) pollinates with Kanza (or Lakota). See Training Young Pecan Trees. Pecan trees grow to huge heights (75 to 100 feet), even the dwarf can grow to 30 feet.
  • Plum: See below. Like cherry trees, some are self-pollinating and others require a cross-pollinator (2nd tree). Like apple trees, some preventative spraying may be needed for pests but overall, they are easy to grow. Plum trees are important late spring ripening fruit and several kinds of plum trees may even bear plums in late summer or fall, depending on the plum cultivar that is chosen.
  • Pluots: See below.
  • Pomegranate. Salavatski (aka 'Russian Turk', self-fertile, -5F, 7-10' tall, heat/drought tolerant, harvest in August-October, 2-3 years to bear fruit), Russian Pomegranate Tree is the hardiest for TN cold weather. Wonderful Pomegranate Tree is the most famous but may not do well in TN.
  • Pistachio: Not well adapted to Tennessee climate are pistachio, almond and macadamia. Pistachio trees require long, hot, dry summers and chilling in the winter, but don't tolerate ground that freezes. They don't do well in areas of high humidity. Pistachios have the narrowest environment requirements of any commercially grown nut crop.
  • Quince: See below.
  • Raspberries: <Berries>
  • Seaberries: <Berries>
  • Serviceberry (aka Juneberry, Saskatoon): See below.
  • Silverberry (Elaeagnus Pungens): <Berries>
  • Strawberry tree: Three different trees with same name. (1) Arbutus unedo: zone 7-11, grows slowly to 15', evergreen tree, edible fruit is red, gritty, mealy, bad peach taste (similar to a Kousa Dogwood fruit). (2) Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra): Hardy to 20-30F (zone 9). (3) Muntingia calabura: tropical tree.
  • Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus): <Berries>

Almonds

  • Almond early bloom: Almonds bloom early in the spring - so early that the typical Tennessee late frosts wipe out most of the blooms or juvenile fruits. Tennessee seems to get some nice 70 degree spring weather each year early in the spring only to be followed by a cold snap from the north. It is that warm cycle that will force the Almonds to bloom and the following cold that does the damage. The tree will survive but all too often disappoint you for producing a harvest.
  • Maintenance: Need to protect from late frost with row cover or blooms will fall off. Well-draining sandy loam. Have high nitrogen and phophorus requirements. Stake in the first to second year. Prune in winter. Needs lots of water through the growing season. Susceptible to fungus so spraying may be needed.
  • Varieties: Only two varieties worth considering in Tennessee. If you still want to try, the hardiest almond that we grow is Halls Hardy Almond. The next best cold hardy variety is the Texas (also called Mission) Almond.
    • Almond Tree Bundle – OneGreenWorld ($77). 10-12' tall, includes Bounty (hardy, very late blooming), Primavera (very late blooming), Seaside (very late blooming).
    • Alenia (or Prima) - Late blooming, thin shell, sweet flavor. Need another late blooming pollinator. Zone 5-9.
    • All-In-One – First self-fertile variety, 15' tall. No. 1 almond for home orchards. Hard shelled fruit. Late bloomer makes it less susceptible to spring frost.
    • Bounty (or Dessertniy) - True almond, high yield, non-bitter, late blooming, needs pollinator. Zone 5-9
    • Garden Prince – self-fertile, 6-9' tall, Soft shell, kernels especially sweet and tasty.
    • Oracle – semi-self-fertile (plant with Nikita's Pride, Bounty or Seaside). Very late blooming and early ripening, Oracle Almond Tree ™ bears abundant crops of large, sweet, semi-hardshell nuts. Hardy to -20F, 10-12' tall, blooms in March, ripens in September. Sold by: OneGreenWorld ($30, bareroot)
    • Halls Hardy Almond – bittersweet fruit, hard-shell, 15-20' tall, semi-self-fertile (cross pollinate with Mission (Texas), requires 800 hours of chilling below 45º F to set fruit compared to 200-400 hours for most of the others. It blooms a little later. It also happens to have a very ornamental bloom - doubling as a flowering tree. It is semi-self fertile but sets fruit better if cross pollinized by another variety.
    • Mission (Texas) Almond – semi-self-fertile, requires 500 hours chilling.
  • Sellers:

Apples

  • Harvest times (Pennsylvania). Chart includes apples, peaches, plums, etc. See also: Picking Calendar
  • Apple Rootstocks. M and EMLA from East Malling, Bud from Soviet Union, G from Geneva, New York are the most common.
  • Rootstock descriptions. B9 (dwarf 25%), G41 (dwarf 30-35%), G222 (dwarf 35-40%), G202 (semi-dwarf 40-50%), G935 (dwarf 35-40%), M106 (semi-standard 65%), M111 (semi-standard 80%).
  • G202 - resistant to woolly apple aphids (WAA), as well as crown rot and fire blight.
  • G41 - resistance to crown rot, woolly aphids and fire blight. Outstanding production.
  • G935 - Fantastic productivity. Resistant to crown rot and fire blight; tolerant of replant disease.
  • M26 - very, very susceptible to fire blight, burrknots, woolly apple aphids and crown rot.
  • EMLA 106 - do not plant in wet or heavy clay soils.
  • Apple Harvest Dates (approx.): Lodi (July15), Gala (Sept1), Honeycrisp (Sept15), Fuji (Oct10), McIntosh (Sept10), Empire (Sept15), Red Delicious (Sept20), GoldenDelicious (Sept20), Jonathan (Sept20), JonaGold (Sept20), Ambrosia (late Sept), Mutsu/Crispin (Oct10), Winesap (Oct), GrannySmith (Oct25), Pink Lady (Nov1)
  • Varieties:
  • Fuji - needs pollinator (e.g. gala, honeycrisp, yellowdelicious), 20-25' tall, 15-18% sugar
  • Pink Lady - the last to harvest. Buy here: TyTyGa.com. Not sold by Turner.
  • Freedom / Liberty - these are very disease resistant. However, not best rootstock at Turner's Nursery. Freedom (late-Sept), Liberty (mid/late-Sept)
  • Flavor profile: Lodi (tart/soft), McIntosh (mildly tart), Cortland (mildly tart, white flesh), Empire (slightly tart), Red Delicious (sweet), Jonathan (mildly tart, rich flavor), JonaGold (slightly sweet, flavorful), Mutsu/Crispin (sweet, citrus flavor), GrannySmith (tart, dry), PinkLady (mildly sweet)
  • My selection:
  • September apples: Gala (early-Sept, M111 or B9 or G41 or G935, not M106), Honeycrisp (mid-Sept, M111, not M106), Ambrosia (late-Sept), Fuji (late-Sept, M111 or G41 or G935 or G222, not M106)
  • October apples: Empire (early-October), Golden/Yellow Delicious (mid-October), Mutsu/Crispin (mid-Oct), JonaGold (late-Oct), PinkLady (Nov1)
  • Preservation (home): store in 30-32F (under 40F) refrigeration with 90% humidity. Wrapping in Kraft paper (depletes oxygen) will also help. Smaller-sized, unblemished apples store better. Will store through the winter.
  • Preservation (commercial): To store apples for a year. The average supermarket apple is 14 months old.
    • Pick apples slightly unripe.
    • Treat with 1-MCP (1-methylcyclopropene) using SmartFresh tablets from AgroFresh ($350 for 10 pack). Video on how to use SmartFresh.
    • Apply wax
    • Place in cold storage, controlled atmosphere. A controlled atmosphere is an agricultural storage method in which the concentrations of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen, as well as the temperature and humidity of a storage room are regulated. Oxygen level is dropped to 3% or lower (from 21% normal atmosphere).
  • Preservation (commercial) downside. Antioxidant activity (polyphenols) in apples gradually drops off after three months of storage in the cold. An apple stored for nearly a year? It will have almost no antioxidants remaining in it whatsoever.

Apricots

  • Description: Difficult to grow in TN because of early blooming, February thru early March, that is why 90% of apricots are grown in California. Most apricot trees are self-pollinating. Apricots tend to bloom during warm periods (above 40ºF) in late winter.
  • Articles:
  • Varieties:
    • Canadian White Blenheim - extremely sweet, firm texture
    • Early Blush (aka NJA53) - cold hardy to Zone 5. Late bloom variety. Fruit size 1.8 to 2 inches. Sellers: Mehrabyan Nursery
    • Harcot - frost hardy late bloom, self-fertile. Sellers: Bay Laurel Nursery (apricots)
    • Pixie Cot Apricot-Miniature - self-fertile, very cold hardy, 8' tall, ripens in August. I suspect that it blooms in early March, making it susceptible to early frost. Sold by: RaintreeNursery, $38, 2-3' tall plant
    • Apricot alternate: Splash Pluot (hybrid of 70% plum, 30% apricot, sweeter than both, blooms March-April, harvest late July, pollenized by Santa Rosa plum or Flavor Grenade Pluot).

Bananas

  • Maintenance: Some varieties are cold hardy at zone 7, but may need to be in pots with winter protection.
  • Cold hardy list: Dwarf Orinoco, California Gold, Goldfinger, Dwarf Cavendish. Other possibilities: Thousand Fingers, Kandarin, Veinte Cohol.
  • Varieties:
  • Sellers: GreenHouseBusiness.com ($13)

Che seedless (Cudrania tricuspidata) (aka Mandarin Melonberry, Chinese Mulberry)

  • Description: This seedless variety is exclusive to EdibleLandscaping ($23 - $36). Regular varieties have 3-6 small seeds in the fruit. Very sweet red fruit. See video from EdibleLandscaiping here. Fruit ripens in October. Can grow 25'+ tall. Can be heavily pruned for best fruit production. Detailed information at Growables.org. Will drop its fruit in the first couple of years of life. Good fruit comes in year 3. Flavor is a cross between watermelon and raspberry.
  • Planting: Full sun, warm, well-drained soil. Grows to 10-12 feet high in 7 years.
  • Videos:

Cherry, all varieties

  • Please note: Cherry trees are difficult to grow in TN. They are highly prone to bacterial canker and cracking. Symptoms of bacterial canker are dead branches and bronze colored exudation on branches or trunk. Apply a fall and winter copper spray to help prevent damage from this disease. Another problem includes the heat of summer. A cherry tree may completely defoliate in the August heat.
  • Cherry:
    • BlackGold and WhiteGold varieties which some have had success in TN.
    • Stella (self-fertile, 15-20' tall)
    • Compact Stella (10-12' tall, self-fertile)
    • Kristen (needs pollinator, 18-25' tall).
  • Dwarf Cherry: tart, mildly sweet. Juliet (5-8' tall, slightly tart, self-fertile) [available from honeyberryusa.com], Wowza! (5-8' tall, self-fertile), Romeo (5-8' tall, self-fertile, very tart). Carmine Jewel (6-8' tall, self-fertile, very tart), Cupid Bush (6-8' tall, slightly tart, self-fertile).
  • Juliet (dwarf cherry) - self-fertile, 5-8' tall, hardy to -40F, tart flavor, 20-brix sugar level (higher than sweet cherries), yields 25 lbs. of fruit by 5th year.
  • Nanking Cherry: <Berries>
  • Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas): In the dogwood family. Grows like a bush, can work as a hedge. 10-15' tall. Likes partial shade. Need two varieties to get fruit. Yellow varieties: Yantarny, Red varieties: Red Star, Elegant, Coral Blaze, Exotica, Pioneer, Red Dawn, Sunrise, U-26 (?).
  • Currants: Will do better in cooler climates (zones 3-5). Plants may drop their leaves when temperatures exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cherry-plum (interspecific hybrid plum)

  • Interspecific hybrid between Japanese plum and cherry, creating a unique fruit that has qualities of both parents.
  • Varieties:
  • Delight Cherry - 12-18' tall, hardy to -30F, blooms in late March, harvest in July-August, requires Sprite Cherry Plum to cross-pollinate.
  • Sprite Cherry - ripe fruit holds on tree 3-4 weeks, pollenized by Delight Cherry Plum.

Chestnuts

  • Height: Capable of growing 80-100' tall. Initially can grow from 4-6' feet per year then slow to about 1.5' per year.
  • Chestnut tree specs: Soil pH range 5.5 to 6.5. Well-drained soil. Cross-pollination by a different variety is key to its growing and bearing success. A male and female tree is necessary for pollination. A "pollen-sterile" tree means it cannot pollinate itself or even pollinate another tree! Chestnut trees will attract deer, if you want deer on your property!
  • Washington Chestnut Company. Has a large collection of cultivars and great amount of information here: Chestnut Tree Cultivars.
  • Burnt Ridge Nursery. Also offers a good selection of cultivars.
  • Varieties to consider: OikosTreeCrops (Dwarf Korean, 20' tall)m Morse Nursery (Dwarf Korean, $20), GSP Celestial (30-50' tall, fruit in 3 years), Marigoule (fruit is sweet as candy, root rot resistant), Maraval, Okie (big nuts), Regis Montis (grows fast--20' tall in 5 years, fruit in 3 years).

Citrus

  • Description: Citrus are generally killed or damaged below 25 degrees F. However, there are some cold hardy varieties than can handle the low 20's, such as tangerines and mandarins. Citrons, lemons and limes are the least cold hardy followed by oranges and grapefruits. Cold hardy varieties are listed here: Citrus Trees That Are Cold Tolerant.
  • Very Hardy Citrus, Most are inedible. Trees listed: Bloomsweet, Changsha (easy-to-peel tangerine-sized oranges that are similar to satsumas, thought not as sweet), Flying Dragon, Morton Citrange, Trifoliate Orange (fruit is sour and considered inedible), Troyer Citrange.
  • Videos: Growing Citrus In The Carolinas And The South,
  • Cold hardy (edible) varieties:
    • Owari Satsuma Mandarin - Hardiest of all mandarins. Hardy to the high teens Fahrenheit. See Satsuma Mandarin Growing Guide. Grows to 6-10' tall, self-fertile, seedless. Slow growing at first. Sellers: McKenzieFarms ($20/gallon + shipping), FourWindsGrowers.com (semi-dwarf, $29, 12-18")
    • Brown Select Datsuma Mandarin - Consider growing together with Owari Satsuma Madarin.
    • Changsha Tangerine - very similar to the Satsuma. Hardy to 15F, but may tolerate/survive 8F. Has seeds.
    • Yuzu Ichandarin (mandarin) - This mandarin hybrid is a commercial tree in Japan and occurs naturally. The "Yuzu" (C. ichangensis x C. reticulata) produces a medium-sized yellow or green fruit with lots of seeds that is sweet but lemony in flavor. The tree is hardy to 0 degrees and may be planted throughout Tennessee. The "Yuzu" is a bit more shrub-like than most citrus trees, and fruit ripens in fall to early winter.

Feijoa (Feijoa sellowiana, aka Pineapple Guava)

Figs

  • Fig: No taproots. Double the canopy in roots. Roots spread out and are four inches deep.
  • Fig types: There are four fig types of the 700+ named varieties of fig trees.
    • Caprifigs - Caprifigs only produce male flowers and never bear fruit. Their only purpose is to pollinate female fig trees.
    • Smyrna - Smyrna figs bear all female flowers. They have to be pollinated by a caprifig.
    • San Pedro - San Pedro figs bear two crops: one on leafless mature wood that requires no pollination and one on new wood that requires pollination by a male flower.
    • Common figs - Common figs are the type usually grown in home landscapes. They don’t need another tree for pollination. Figs that require pollination have an opening that allows the pollinating wasps entry to the internal flowers. Common figs don’t need an opening, so they are less susceptible to rot caused by insects and rainwater entering the fruit.
  • Fig care: Prune no later than late February or early March. Remove suckers. Remove lowest branches that don't get sunlight. Remove non-fruiting branches. Remove diseased or discolored branches. Water req. (12-15 gallons per week during growing season). Need to put 4-6 inches of mulch through the winter.
  • From September to December, you can cut the branches that have born fruit in order to enhance the following year’s fruit formation and harvest.
  • Videos and articles:
  • Fig varieties:
    • Celeste fig [Common] - 7-10' tall, 7-10' wide, harvest mid-June-July, others say harvest is mid-July to mid-August, no breba crop, winter hardy to 0F; short ripening season; fruit and plant are smaller than Brown Turkey; fruit of high quality and good for fresh use and preserving.
    • Chicago Hardy - self-fertile, -10F, 15-30' tall, better than Brown Turkey, ripens July to frost, small fruit (too small to bother with)
    • Desert King [San Pedro] - Only produces breba crop if not pollinated (i.e. not caprified). 8-10' tall, self-fertile, hardy to 0F, fruit ripens mid-summer (August 10 to November 5), best adapted to cool areas, highly vigorous tree, very large green (breba) fruit.
    • Little Ruby - self-fertile, hardy to 0F, 4-6' tall, bite-sized figs
    • Olympian Hardy [Common] - self-fertile, very large fruit, hardy to 0F, 8-15' tall, ripens late September-November, amber color inside, tastes like a white peach soaked in honey
    • Smith - sharp berry favor (exotic and similar to Complex Berry, but on a more intense level. Usually raspberry favors). Grows well in the southeast. Originates from Louisiana.
    • Texas Blue Giant - the same as a Blue Celeste
    • Violette de Bordeaux [Common] - Complex Berry flavor. self-fertile, hardy to 5-15F, 6-10' tall, 6' wide, deer resistant, everbearing crop starts in August to frost
  • See Figs in the Home Planting.
  • Fig varieties (for NC): Smith, Col De Dame Noir, Col De Dame Blanc, I-258 (Italian 258), Bordissot Blanca-Negra, Martinenca Rimada. 6 Fig Trees To Plant In Humid Rainy Climates And Why I Chose Them.
  • Top 10 (one suggestion): Black Madeira, Preto, Violette de Bordeaux, Chicago Hardy, Angelos Dark, Green Ischia, Brogiotto Nero, Black Ischia, Improved Celeste, Sodus Sicilian.
  • My selection:
    • Celeste (early harvest - June/July)
    • Desert King (harvest August to frost)
    • Violette de Bordeaux (harvest August to frost)
    • Olympian Hardy (harvest September to frost),
  • Sold by: MyPerfectPlants.com (Celeste fig, $39 including shipping)

Hazelnuts (aka filberts)

  • Characteristics: High in antioxidants, high in Magnesium (so make sure to supply), high in vitamins B and E, high in fiber.
  • Details: 10-12' tall, spread 8-10'. Plant as close as 3' apart.
  • Maintenance: Fungicide (Bordeaux mix)? Thoroughly spray the tree with the solution beginning at bud break, then reapply every two weeks for a total of four applications. Use copper spray in the Fall to prevent bacteria blight.
  • Pests: Loved by squirrels, deer, turkey, woodpeckers and other birds.
  • Varieties: See Hazelnut.com.
  • Jefferson: See Jefferson Hazelnut (OSU 703.007). Jefferson is a late blooming tree. Commercial orchardists plant York to pollinate at the beginning of its receptive period, and Eta or Theta to cover the late blooming period, to ensure maximum potential yield. (Eta pollinizes the early part of the late season and Theta the late part of the late season. Thus, full coverage of Jefferson would include York, Eta and Theta.) To ensure good pollination, a minimum of 6% to 10% of the trees in the orchard should be shedding compatible pollen throughout the female bloom period. If three pollinizers are used, a good mix would be 10% ‘Gamma’, 30% ‘Eta’, and 60% ‘Theta’.
  • Suggested groupings for Jefferson: Jefferson--York--Eta (covers early 2/3 of season) or Jefferson--Eta--Theta (covers late 2/3 of season).
  • Eta: Smaller tree. mid-season pollen over a long season. Pollinizes (Jefferson, Theta, Epsilon), receives pollen (Yamhill, York, Jefferson (early) and Epsilon, Theta (late))
  • Felix: earliest to drop pollen. Can pollinate Jefferson.
  • York: Smaller tree, 10' tall. Pollinates Jefferson with early pollen, Theta, Eta. Receives pollen from Jefferson (late).
  • Theta: Larger tree, late-season pollen, 10-12', pollinizes (Jefferson, Eta, Epsilon), receives pollen (Jefferson - early, Epsilon - early, Eta - late).
  • Sold by: Willis Orchard (Eta, $30 each), Edible Landscaping (Eta, Theta, York, $48 each, 3 gallon pot; Jefferson, 7 gallon pot, $85), Portland Nursery, Gurney's (Theta, $20) or FastGrowingTrees (Theta), RaintreeNursery (York, $27, bareroot whip), Ison's Nursery ($27, 4-5' tall), BruntRidgeNursery (Theta $18, self-rooted), TreesOfAntiquity (2-year olds, caliper 1/2 to 3/4", $33)

Medlar (medieval fruit; nispero in Spanish)

  • Description: Self-fertile, cold hardy to -20F, can grow 8-25' tall, ripens October/November. Fruit is too hard to eat immediately. It has an astringent, hard apple consistency when unripe. To ripen it needs several weeks in a cool, dry place to blet and become soft, spicy and very rich. It has a cinnamon-apple sauce flavor. Grown in Europe for thousands of years.
  • To ripen: One idea is to: Pick the fruit early and place in a plastic bag with water and absorbent material like straw or mulch and place in the refrigerator to help fruit with bletting.
  • Videos: Mespilus germanica - home ripened Medlars are kinda dry (good understanding of how to identify on when to eat)
  • Varieties:
  • Monstrueuse de Evreinoff Medlar - 3" fruit
  • Sold by: RaintreeNursery (Monstrueuse de Evreinoff Medlar, $38, 4-5' tree), OneGreenWorld (several varieties, $30), BurntRidgeNursery.com (dwarf varieties, $24)

Mulberries

  • Description: Self-fertile unless stated otherwise.
  • Varieties:
  • Dwarf varieties: Gerardi, Dwarf Everbearing (8-10' tall, Mary's carries it). Shangri La (18-20' tall, large fruit, ripens earlier),
  • Regular varieties: Pakistan (big fruit, 30 - 40 feet tall)
  • Sweet Lavender Mulberry - self-fertile, 15' tall, sweet white fruit (that won't stain)., ripens July-September
  • Sellers: Rolling River Nursery (sells great variety, both Morus alba & Morus nigra), RaintreeNursery (sells Sweet Lavender, $41)

Nectarines

  • Varieties: (Note: Elberta harvest is mid-July)
  • Durbin - harvest mid-June (i.e. 30 days before Elberta--mid-June)
  • Fantasia - harvest late-August, self-fertile, long hang time
  • Snow Queen - harvest mid-June, self-fertile, 15-30' tall
  • Spice Zee NectaPlum - Spice Zee is the first ever nectarine-peach-plum hybrid. Fruits ripen to a pale pink when fully ripe and the fully ripe fruit is unparalleled in flavor, having notes of both nectarine and plum!
  • My selection: Snow Queen (mid-June), Fantasia (late-August)

Olive

  • Description: Hundreds of varieties, most need a pollinator. Depending on variety can grow 15-30' tall. Can handle a wide pH range (5 to 8.5), typical olives trees will be damaged by temperatures below 17F and may not survive temperatures below 10F (leaves and branches die). Thus, use cold hardy varieties in Tennessee.
  • Can Olive Trees Grow In Zone 7: Types Of Cold Hardy Olive Trees. The quick answer is yes, but requires a cold hardy variety and care in the winter (like a floating row cover).
  • Cold Hardy Olives (discussion). Contains a long list of cold hardy varieties. Commentator, CasaLester: support for Morchione, Moufla, Bianchera, and Elit-5. Morchione is claimed to be the hardiest, with no leaf damage at -16 C (3.2 F) and Bianchera to resist long term frost with wind without leaf damage as well. Elit-5 is still being tested and may turn out even hardier than Morchione.
  • Hardy Olive Trees. Lists Arbequina, Ascolana, Mission and Sevillano
  • Varieties: There are several varieties of cold hardy olive trees that best tolerate the lower temperatures in zone 7:
  • Arbequina – self-fertile, popular in the colder areas of Texas. They produce small fruits that make excellent oil and can be brined.
  • Arbosona – number 2 producer of olive oil in California, fairly cold hardy.
  • Barouni – very resistant to cold.
  • Chemlali – very cold hardy
  • Mission – self-fertile, 35' tall. This variety was developed in the U.S. and is moderately tolerant of cold. The fruits are great for oil and brining. The most common commercially grown olive in California.
  • Manzanilla/Manzanillo – requires pollinator, produces good table olives and has moderate cold tolerance. Survives 12F (in Georgia), also resistant to high summer temperatures, rarely needs watering.
  • Picholine – self-fertile, resistant to both drought and cold, and can adapt to a variety of temperatures and soils
  • Picual – popular in Spain for producing oil and is moderately cold hardy. It produces large fruit that can be pressed to make delicious oil.
  • Sevillano – needs pollinator (can be a 2nd Sevillano). One of the four most commonly grown commercial olives in California. Very large olive with low oil content.
  • Sold by: TyTyGa (various, starting at $25, located south of Atlanta, Georgia), WillisOrchards (starting at $20), BrighterBlooms (Italian Olive Tree)
  • My selection:

Patio trees

  • Achacha (Garcinia humilis)- the best of mangosteen-like fruits, cold hardy to 30F, grows to 5' in container.
  • Meyer lemon - cross between a sour lemon and sweet orange, cold hardy to 40F, prune to 5' in container.

Pawpaw

  • Description: Relative to cherimoya, atemoya, guanabana and soursop. Cold-hardy to -20F, 12-15' tall, bloom in March-April, ripens late-September to October. Best to plant in neutral soil, partial to full sun. George Washington's favorite dessert. Needs a pollinator of different variety to fruit--two "native(s)" would work since they are genetically different, otherwise select two different named varieties. Tastes like banana, cantaloupe, mango, bubble gum, pudding consistency. Will take 3+ years to fruit after planting.
  • How PawPaw TARGETS & KILLS CANCER of all kinds! MIRACLE FRUIT that no one knows abt! Mandela Effect? Published 4/27/2017. Duration 8:51. Kills MDR (Multi-Drug Resistant cancer cells). Mentions acetogenins found in pawpaws.
  • Caution: While many people enjoy the taste of pawpaw, some individuals can become sick after eating the fruit. Skin rash, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea can develop. In other cases, individuals may be allergic to the leaves or the fruit skin. Read article: Many tissues of this tree, especially bark, leaves, and seeds, contain a variety of alkaloids, phenolic acids, proanthocyanidins, tannins, flavinoids, and acetogenins. While these chemicals can cause allergic reactions, some of them are anticarcenogens and still others have natural or botanical pesticide qualities (McLaughlin and Hui, 1993; Zhao et al., 1994.)
  • Maintenance: Heavy pruning/thinning of fruit to get best quality fruit. For example, aim for 15 lbs of fruit from a tree that can product 50 lbs.
  • Notes: Better to buy named varieties. You are guaranteed a superior quality in the form of more flesh, fewer seeds, etc.
  • Best varieties1: Overleese, Shenandoah, Susquehanna, and Allegheny. Not impressed with Sunflower, Wells, Mitchell, Mango, or Prolific. Sunflower--some of its fruits can leave a slight bitter aftertaste. Mango flavor is Ok but texture too slimy/mushy.
  • Best varieties2: Greenriver belle (small/medium fruit) is a favorite of some; Sunflower leaves slight bitter aftertaste; PA Golden#1--not special; Wilson--not special; Davis--productive, med/large fruit, good texture/flavor; Overleese--excellent texture/flavor, med-large fruit; NC-1--excellent fruit, like Overleese, may not be very productive; Mitchell--not special; Prolific--leave bitter aftertaste; Shenandoah--like a more productive Overleese; Rappahannock--excellent/unique flavor; Susquehanna--excellent/sweet flavor; Wabash--excellent, ages well; Potomac--excellent.
  • Best varieties3: Allegheny (mango avocado taste and texture, early ripening), Shenandoah (like banana pudding); PA Golden.
  • Peterson Pawpaws. Website devoted to pawpaws. Recommended list: Shenandoah, Susquehanna (extremely few seeds), Rappahannock, Allegheny, Potomac (larger fruit than Susquehanna), Wabash, Tallahatchi. Check out their sellers list.
  • Varieties:
  • NC-1 - is valued for its high pulp to seed ratio
  • Wabash - abundant crops of large, sweet, high quality fruit, which often weighs over 1/2 lb.
  • KSU-Atwood - incredibly heavy crops, 150 or more fruit per tree, and rich and delicious flavor.
  • Shenandoah - seedling of Overleese, large fruit with few seeds (6% by weight). Texture is firmer than wild varieties. Good yields, responds well to pruning
  • Susquehanna - few seeds (3% by weight), large fruit, sweet, firm texture (like avocado), ornamental, less fragile than most. Moderate yields, responds well to pruning
  • Sold by: PeacefulHeritage (pawpaw tree bundle of two, $50, 2 yr old, includes Susquehanna and Sunflower), OneGreenWorld (pawpaw tree bundle of four, $136, includes Overleese, NC-1, Wabash, KSU-Atwood), EdibleLandscaping (several varieties, bought Shenandoah, Susquehanna)

Peaches

  • Varieties:
  • Crest Haven - late-August to early-September
  • Elberta - mid-July, self-fertile, 12-15' tall
  • Encore - early-September
  • Florida King - mid-May, ripens 57 before Elberta. Will it grow in Tennessee?
  • Georgia Belle (white) - early-July
  • Indian Blood - August to September. Heavy producer, very good tasting a mix of white and yellow peach flavor. May be more prone to disease. Sellers: WillisOrchards.com ($15)
  • July Prince - late-August
  • June Gold - late-June
  • Loring - late-August, taste test winner.
  • Majestic - very large fruit, resistant to disease.
  • O'Henry - Aroma heavy, red peaches appear in late summer. Self-fruiting and will pollinize other nearby peaches.
  • Peacotum - A cross of peach, apricot, and plum that has the best qualities of all of its parents. Skin is slightly fuzzy and bright yellow like an apricot with an attractive red blush. Tart skin gives way to mildly sweet amber flesh for a delightful fresh eating experience.
  • Red Haven - early-August, self-fertile, 12-15' tall, dwarf is 8-10' tall. Extended harvest of seven weeks.
  • RedSkin - mid-July, large fruit, fine flavor.
  • Scarlet Prince - early-August
  • Sugar Giant - late-August, self-fertile, 15-30' tall
  • SureCrop - late-June
  • White Lady (white) - late July, self-fertile, 12' tall, good storage qualities, high sugar.
  • My selection: Georgia Belle (early-July), White Lady (late July), Red Haven (early-Aug), Sugar Giant (late-Aug)

Pears

  • Notes: Cross Ayers, Kieffer, Moonglow, Bosc, Asian, or Bradford for greater yield.
  • Ayers – partial self-fertile, 20-30' tall, ripens in late-August, resistant to fire blight,
  • Kieffer – self-fertile, 15-25' tall, ripens mid-September to early-October (others say October to November)
  • Moonglow – self-fertile, 10-16' tall, strong pollinator, medium-large pears with brownish-green skin, soft, juicy flesh, nearly free of grit and sweet mild flavor, ripens early-August, 6-7.0 pH,
  • Asian varieties:
    • 20th Century (Nijisseiki) – self-fertile, 12-30' tall, harvest Aug5 to Aug25, leaves turn red in the fall,
    • Hosui – best-tasting, however very susceptible to fire blight
    • Shinko – fruit stores poorly.
    • Hardy Giant Asian – requires another pollinator. Stores up to 9 months in refrigeration. Originates from Korea in 1969. Ripens in October. Pollinator required: Hosui, New Century or Bartlett.
  • My selection: Ayers (late-August), Moonglow (early August), 20th Century (August)

Persimmons

  • Persimmons Planting Guide: Make sure tree gets iron, zinc, manganese, molybdenum, copper and boron.
  • Fertilizer: 10-10-10, 1 cup per each year of tree's life, max out at 9 cups for mature tree. Fertilize in March. Never fertilize after August. This can promote growth to late in the year and damage the tree if it freezes.
  • Companions: mint, chives, borage, comfrey, marigold, calendula, strawberries, sweet potatoes.
  • Bay Laurel Nursery has a good variety of persimmon trees (all priced at $46 each).
  • Many varieties:
  • Fuyu (Got it at Lowes and was root bound). Ordered another one from WillisOrchards on March, 2021.
  • Izu - 8-10' tall, central leader, medium-sized non-astringent fruit. It has good disease resistance and ripens early in September. Bears only female flowers, so few seeds. Hardy to 0 degrees F. Order from WillisOrchards (approx. $20).

Plums

  • Maintenance: Need to spray, since plums are susceptible to diseases in the Southeast. Spraying lime-sulfur or copper in the fall and early spring can help control Bacterial Canker.
  • Pruning: Plums require minimal pruning which should be done after flowering when the tree is still leafless. In the formative years, pruning can be to remove interior branches, water sprouts, growing scaffold branches, and dead, damaged, or diseased wood. In maturity, vigorous upright shoots are removed as fruiting increasingly occurs on spurs on older wood. Japanese plums do best when trained to an open center and need thinning for proper fruit development.
  • Chose European varieties because they hold up better during spring frost. European varieties include Stanley (fruit stays hard, self-fertile), Green Gage (self-fertile), Seneca (needs pollinator). Byrongold (yellow skin, needs pollinator, ripens 6/30). Japanese varities include: Methley (self-fertile, ripens 6/3, blooms more tolerate to frost than peaches), Santa Rosa (self-fertile), , Au(tumn) Rosa (very disease resistant, self-fertile), AU Producer (needs pollinator, 6/20). Must try to plant a Spring Satin Plumcot, frost tolerant, very sweet plum/apricot taste.
  • Varieties:
  • AU-Rosa Plum. Developed by Auburn University (Alabama) for the Southeast. It was developed to meet the need for disease-resistant cultivars in the Southeast where prevalence of certain diseases and susceptibility of commercial varieties had discouraged plum production. AU-Rosa is highly resistant to bacterial canker (Pseudomona syringae, Van hall), bacterial fruit spot [Xanthomonas pruni (E. F. Smith), Dows], bacterial leaf spot (X. pruni), black knot [Apisporina morbosa (Schw.) Ark.], and plum leaf scald (Xylella fastidiosa).
  • AU-Producer. Highly resistant to: bacterial canker, bacterial fruit and leaf spot, and plum leaf scald. Somewhat resistant to brown rot. Semi-self-fertile, any AU-Series or Methley plum will pollinate it.Harvest in late-June, 7-10' tall, cold hardy to -20F.
  • Methley - Japanese plum, early bloom time makes it susceptible to late spring frosts. Blooms appear as early as February. Harvest in late-May to early-July. Self-fertile, dwaft size 8-10' tall, standard size 20' tall. Grows 1-2' per year. Dwarf variety should be stacked to protect against leaning when bearing fruit. Cold hardy to -15F.

Pluots - interspecific hybrid

  • Maintenance: Treat them as plum trees (see Plums section). Generally, winter hardy, resist root knot nematodes, tolerate wet soil. From GrowOrganic.com, see Bare Root & Potted Trees: Terms & Information.
  • Varieties:
  • Constant Harvest Pluot - hybrid of 70 percent plum, 30 percent apricot with decidedly more plum-like traits. Grows to 12-18' tall. 3 on 1 Multiple Grafted Fruit Tree (Semi-dwarf). Sold by GrowOrganic ($50, sold as bare root, ships in December/January, place orders after Sept1). Grafted in this order: Flavor Supreme®, Dapple Dandy®, Flavor Queen®, and Flavor King®. Order of fruiting: Flavor Supreme (Mid June), Flavor Queen (August), Dapple Dandy (late July to early August), Flavor King (Late August).
  • Flavor Grenade Pluot - hybrid of 70% plum and 30% apricot, fruit hangs on tree for 4-6 weeks, blooms early March, ripens June, Requires an Asian plum pollinator--e.g. another pluot or Inca or Santa Rose plum. Other pluots: Flavor King, Dapple Dandy and Emerald Drop. Cheapest for sale: GrowOrganic ($25, sold as bare root).
  • Splash Pluot - hybrid of 70% plum, 30% apricot, sweeter than both, blooms March-April, harvest late July, pollenized by Santa Rosa plum or Flavor Grenade Pluot

Quince

  • Description: Member of pear family. Like a sour apple/pear. Self-fertile, unless otherwise stated, harvest in October to December, tolerates wet soil.
  • Maintenance: Produces fruit on one-year old growth. Prune new growth on the inside so the fruit grows on the outside.
  • Recipes: (1) Makes a delicious jam. (2) Consider using 70% apple and 30% quince in an apple pie.
  • Sellers: Burnt Ridge Nursery (cheapest that I have found)
  • Varieties:
  • Cooke's Jumbo -
  • Krymskaya Quince (planted in March, 2021) - originates in Ukraine. Hardy to -25F, 10-12' tall. Big, bright yellow, crispy fruit. Naturally small self-fruitful tree. Bears fruit in 2-3 years after planting. Half day to full sun. Sweeter than most and is leaf spot resistant. Pineapple-like flavor and citrus-like fragrance. Slightly astringent, semi-edible in raw form. Two varieties, Crimea and Kuganskaya, both are called Krymskaya in Russia. Aromatnaya is said to be a separate variety although with the same "Krymskaya" name.
    • Crimea - Krymskaya Rannyaya, Russian for Crimean Early. Best yield, vigor and disease resistance. Late maturing (October).
    • Kuganskaya - misspelled, should be Kubanskaya. Kuban is the name of a river in southern Russia. Tastes a little better than Crimea. Late maturing (mid-October).
    • Aromatnaya - Krymskaya Aromatnaya, Russian for Crimean Aromatic. Not as good to eat fresh. The earliest ripening with best yellow color. Very susceptible to fire blight.
  • Orange Quince - hardy to 0F, 20' tall, crooked branches
  • Pineapple Quince - 10-12' tall, ripens in October, slight pineapple-like flavor, tart. Hardy against fire blight. Leading cultivar in California released by Luther Burbank in 1899.
  • Rich Dwarf Quince - 10-12' tall, hardy to -25F. Order from: ISon's Nursery
  • Smyrna - the most popular quince used by famous chefs, very large fruit and extremely fragrant, best keeping quince.

Serviceberry (aka Juneberry, Saskatoon) - Amelanchier alnifolia

  • Description: Masses of white flowers in spring followed by pea sized tasty blue fruits in summer and fiery fall colors, with glossy silver-gray bark. The small berries are edible and sweeter than blueberries. Short-lived harvest season. Birds love them and will eat the ripe ones before you get a chance! Can reach 20-25' tall and 15-20' wide. Hardy to -40F.
  • Growing from seed: See Growing Saskatoon Berry from seed @ The Hagon Jones Homestead. Seeds need stratification as explained and shown in the video--60 days warm (70-80F) and dark, then 120 days cold (i.e. in the fridge).
  • Varieties:
    • Allegheny (Amelanchier laevis): [Planted in 2020] 20-25' tall, 20-25' wide, growth rate of 12-24" per year. Red to orange autum show, and won't require raking. This highly branched shrub can be pruned to form a small multi-stemmed tree. Wikipedia on Amelanchier laevis.
    • Autumn Brilliance (Amelanchier x grandiflora): 15-25' tall. 3/8" diameter berries in summer. Sellers: JungSeed ($20, 1Q pot).
    • Canadian Serviceberry (Amenlanchier canadensis) [aka Rainbow Pillar or Shadblow]: most likely to be found where the ground is damp to wet all the time. 15' tall, 8' wide.
    • Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea): The fruit is good to eat but is not as juicy as some (i.e. it is drier). Good for baked goods and jams. Others are better fresh.
    • Mountain Juneberry or Oblongfruit Serviceberry: Does not normally grow in Tennessee.
    • Saskatoon Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia): Hardy to -30F. Like moist, boggy, fertile soil. Takes forever to produce fruit.
    • Snowy Juneberry (Amelanchier lamarckii): Prolific white blooms. Bears small, dark purple fruits that are edible and have a flavor somewhat akin to a sweet apple. Deciduous, shrubby tree to 15-20 feet. Frost hardy to as low as zone 4. Wikipedia on Amelanchier lamarckii.
  • Sold by: Burnt Ridge Nursery (cheapest that I have found), TradeWindsFruit (sells seeds of several Serviceberry/Juneberry varieties).